LES BATTERIES

Les Batteries biography
In 1985, Guigou Chenevier, the drummer of the French RIO band Etron Fou Leloublan, conceived of a trio composed of himself and fellow drummers Rick Brown (V-Effect, Fish & Roses, Run On) and Charles Hayward (This Heat, Camberwell Now, Massacre, etc). The three drummers exchanged ideas via tape, and soon embarked upon a period of rehearsal. This was followed by the scheduling of a short tour as Les Batteries. Their first performance was in 1985 at the Musique Action Festival in Vandoeuvres-les-Nancy.

They were then invited to perform as the musical accompaniment to the mogul skiers at the Championnats du Monde de Ski Acrobatique in Tignes in February of 1986. In 1986 they also performed at the first Festival MIMI in St. Remy de Provence; a track from this performance, "Post-Polar," appears on the Festival M.I.M.I 86 LP. The band's first release, Noisy Champs (named for the Parisian suburb where the trio's initial rehearsals were set), was recorded in Switzerland at the end of a second tour that same year and released by the Ayaa label in France. More touring in Europe then followed - this included a residency at the Museum of the French Revolution in Vizille where they were commissioned to compose a program of music inspired by the French Revolution. Much of the result of this commission was recorded on their second album, Démesure révolutionnaire, released in 1991 by the French label Baillemont. By this time the band was only a duo instead as Hayward had left the band in 1987 to pursue his career as a solo artist. The resulting duo occasionally supplemented their music with the addition of various guest musicians.

Les Batteries released three albums between 1986 and 1998. In 2006 their second album, Démesure révolutionnaire, was re-released by the French progressive label Musea Their first album Noisy Champs, which had only been available on vinyl previously, was recently re-released (2010), with bonus tracks, by Gazul (an arm of Musae label) in France.

- Addition prepared by Claire (listennow801) -